Arizona shooting raises concerns

Lawmakers worry about overreacting to rampage

Before heading in to vote at Alanton Elementary School in Virginia Beach,… (Stephen Katz, Daily Press )

January 10, 2011|By Kimball Payne, kpayne@dailypress.com | 247-4765

The Arizona shooting rampage that left six dead and a congresswoman shot in the head has Virginia lawmakers reviewing security protections and re-examining how they interact with the public.

Capitol security officers and F.B.I. agents will give a detailed security briefing to federal lawmakers on Wednesday in Washington, where officials and staffers were still digesting the details of the Tuscon shooting.

Perhaps the most troubling detail for lawmakers was a letter found in the shooting suspect's home thanking him for attending a 2007 "Congress at Your Corner" event with Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head at point blank range. Virginia lawmakers frequently hold similar gatherings and the shooting has put a new focus on security.

U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Westmoreland, had a full day of public events Monday in the suburbs of Fredericksburg.

"We have to be out there interacting with the public," he said. "There is a certain level of risk inherent in being in public office. We can't drive our risk down to zero."

Still, Wittman said, his staffers are going over security precautions and leaning on Capitol Police and the FBI for advice.

"You can always ask, 'Are there things we can do to make ourselves safer?'" he said. "But the big thing is to make sure we don't overreact."

U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner echoed that sentiment in Hampton as he toured the Veterans Affairs hospital. Warner was governor in 2002 during the sniper attacks and remembers vividly the fear that gripped the East Coast. But Warner said security worries shouldn't push lawmakers into hiding.

"The last thing we need is to put an even larger barrier in between our elected representatives and the people who hire us," he said.

The Arizona shooting has the potential to upset the delicate balance between privacy and security. Members of Congress are more in touch on an individual level than ever before thanks to social networking sites where they can exchange ideas and chat with voters and activists.

There have also been flashes of political violence in Virginia in recent years, especially after the summer of 2009 when the health care reform debate bubbled over.

Former U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello, a Democrat, became a poster boy for public engagement when he held 21 town halls to explain his support for health care reform. But Perriello also became a cautionary tale after activists posted Perriello's address on the Internet. The address was actually for the home of Perriello's brother, where a propane line was later found slashed.

Meanwhile, a Pennsylvania man faces up to 15 years in prison for posting a video that included a threat to shoot House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Richmond.

Fresh off the campaign trail, Republican U.S. Rep. Scott Rigell spent months wooing residents with meetings and townhalls throughout the 2nd District, which runs from the Eastern Shore to Hampton. He warned against letting fear overcome the need to spend time with voters.

"Saturday's horrific shooting must not shake our resolve to carry forward that distinctly American tradition intended to keep U. S. representatives close to, and accountable to, their constituents," he said.